Patience:  Why are you so antsy right now? We’ll get there stop fretting!

Impatience: I want everything to be just right, to be perfect, the best EVER!  I have an important presentation to give. I want the students to feel good about this lecture.

Patience:  Whoa! you don’t have any control of the outcome really, you know.

Impatience: Why do you say that? You just want to rain on my parade.

Patience: I am sorry my words upset you but the truth is you ARE great and I am sure that things will turn out fine BUT you have no control of the reaction of your audience.

Impatience: I don’t want to hear you! Stop it! We are wasting time…just drive already so we can get there on time.

Patience: Okay, I’m going as fast as I can.

Impatience: No, you’re not! You are driving like an old lady!! Pass that Versa ahead of you…can’t you see he’s holding up traffic. Everyone is passing that car but YOU.  Put on your flasher and cut to the left lane…hurry, there is a little spot…go go go!!

Patience:   I don’t have to pass this driver …look the exit is just up ahead, we are turning off anyway. Stop worrying…relax…

Impatience: How can I relax when you are driving like a 90 year old man!

Patience: Well, actually if I were 90 years old and able to still drive, I would be quite proud to still have my driver’s permit. {chuckles} And if I were 90 what would that make you…heh heh! one hundred and two?!!! {snicker}

Impatience: {laughs nervously}  Okay, point taken.

Patience: why don’t you take out your presentation and go over your notes…that may help to ground you…be in the moment.

Impatience:  Oh, alright…can I recite my lines to you?  That may help…

Patience: Sure, that would be lovely…do I have to clap at certain parts? {grins}

Impatience:  No, now stop making a mockery out of this! {sigh!!} Do you want to help or not?!

Patience: Of course…I’m listening

Impatience: Good afternoon, my name is….{recites the introduction then gets to question period}

Patience: Ooooh oooooh!! I have a question? 

Impatience: Yes, what is it?

Patience:  So, I have a friend who has been self-harming lately because he gets soooo impatient and frustrated with his life, he says that he has started to do that. Who do people hurt themselves?

Impatience:  Wow! That is a good question by the way. Some people sometimes cope with emotional problems by unhealthy means.

Patience: Why would someone choose a bad way to cope on purpose?

Impatience: Well, they don’t know it’s bad necessarily or good, they just do it because it sometimes helps to calm them…ease that huge tension they feel inside and it may calm down for a few minutes or hours.

Patience: Oh, really? I had no idea.  So can it stop…I am pretty worried for my friend.

Impatience: If your friend is open to try something else, it can eventually stop but it takes work and effort on her part too.  It can’t always be easy…for some it is like an addiction…you know.

Patience: Yes, yes, I get it now.  Wow!  You know, you are such a different person when we are not concentrating on my driving. I can’t get over how patiently you just answered my questions there. I mean it…thanks.

Impatience: Well, it’s my job, silly…I like what I do…so it’s easy to be more understanding and patient. Now step on it, will you, or the light will turn red!!! Go, go, go, go….

© Cheryl-Lynn, 2014/02/04

Prompt 41 – Consuming Impatience

This prompt was to write about Consumed Impatience.  I find we are sometimes “consumed” with impatience under certain situations in our live.  Some may be more impatient than others and perhaps that can be due to anxiety, anger management (that too can be due to other mental health conditions such as depression), worry and lack of self-confidence for example.  I am sure there are many other reasons why someone may lose patience.  And then there are some who have an abundance of patience…they seem to take things in their stride. What a gift!  Here is ONE example on how “impatience” can play out and “patience” can resume in the life of that same person.